Con Overview

Anime North 2016 will be held on May 27-29 at the Toronto Congress Center (650 Dixon Road) and International Plaza Hotel (655 Dixon Road) with additional events held at Sheraton Airport Hotel (901 Dixon Road), Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport (33 Carlson Court), and Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel (901 Dixon Road). Some additional events will be held at other locations, as detailed below.

This page contains information of interest to both first-time and long-time attendees of Anime North, and reviewing it before the convention would be appreciated.

Convention Hours

Events at the convention will run at the following times. Note that registration will open earlier, especially on Friday (see registration schedule below).

Friday: 4:00 PM - 1:00 AM

Saturday: 10:00 AM - 1:00 AM

Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Convention Registration

If you have pre-registered for the convention, bring your registration e-mail with you to the Registration Desk. If you have lost/misplaced this email, please bring photo ID with the name that the admission was purchased under.

The Registration Desk will be located at the Toronto Congress Center, South Building. The main entrance will be the Hall ABC doors, on the west side of the building.

There will be a Thursday evening pre-registration pick-up this year, from 5 PM to 9 PM at the TCC. Please note that no convention activities will take place on this Thursday evening, this is simply a chance to pick up your pre-purchased membership badge a day early. No new registrations will be for sale that evening, it will be for pick up of already purchased admissions only.

During the convention Registration hours will be:

Friday: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Sunday: 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Weekend admissions, and Saturday-only admissions for Anime North are now SOLD OUT, and will NOT be available for sale at the door. Single-day admissions for Friday and Sunday will be available at the door only on their respective days.

Cash only will be accepted; no cheques, credit cards or debit cards.

Single Day prices are as follow:

Friday: $35 CDN / $35 USD

Saturday: SOLD OUT

Sunday: $35 CDN / $35 USD (Sunday admissions will only be sold on Sunday)

Child Registration

Children 13 years of age and under are admitted for half-price of the corresponding adult admission, but must be accompanied either by a guardian 18 years or over, or a guardian 16 years or over with a letter of permission from the child’s parents.

Children 6 years of age and under are admitted free, but must be accompanied by a guardian 18 years or over, or a guardian 16 years or over with a letter of permission from the child’s parents.

Note that your membership badge (which you will receive at registration), will give you access to all convention events in all buildings, with the exception of food functions (cafes, Moonlight Ball, which require separate tickets).

Your membership badge must be displayed at all times. There will be a $20 Replacement Fee for any lost convention badges. If you lose (or find) a badge, go to the Info Desks at the Toronto Congress Center, located Hall D.

Public Transit and Parking

To reach the convention via the TCC, take the Laurence 52 bus west from Lawrence West Subway Station, getting off at the City View Drive stop, or take the Martin Grove 46 bus north from Kipling subway station, getting off at Dixon Road, and walking west for 3-4 minutes to the Toronto Congress Center.

If you are driving, there is free parking at the Toronto Congress Center. Please note however that there is no overnight security at the TCC, and leaving your vehicle there overnight is not permitted. The hotels will charge $12-$14 a day for parking.

Convention Main Stage – TCC North Building

As of last year, our main stage has moved to the North Ballroom in the Toronto Congress Center North Building (just north of the South Building). The entrance for this Ballroom will be on the west side of the building, and will be where the events previously found in Plaza Ballroom will be held (Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Masquerade and Skit Contest, Fashion Show, Anime Hell, Music Videos, etc). This Ballroom will seat over 2000 people.

Major Events

Please see our Programming page for a description of our major events, plus our Schedule will be available to download before the convention.

Following is an overview of the major events going on this year at Anime North 2015. All attendees are highly encouraged to read your Program Book and Pocket Program (which you will receive when you register) which will have more details and any last minute changes.

Toronto Congress Center

Major events at the TCC are:

North Ballroom Main Stage: Our biggest room (seats over 2000) for our biggest events. Come and see the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Masquerade and Skit Contests, Anime Hell, AN Idol and Pop Idol, and the 404s Comedy Shows.

Dealer’s Room: 400 tables of anime, manga, and much more, all for sale and waiting for you. Open all weekend in Halls F and G

Comic Market and Crafter’s Corner: Approx. 250 amateur artists display their work and wow you with their talent. Open all weekend.

Pro Plaza: Come and see our artist guests.

Gallery Momiji: Displaying professional and amateur artwork alongside special guest displays, with pieces for sale at auction and prints for sale in the Gallery Store. Open all weekend in Hall E.

Concerts: Our Musical guests (Red Handed Denial, Matenrou Opera, Cybertronic Spree) perform in Hall C on Friday and Saturday evening. Please note that Hall C is only accessible from the doors on the east side of the TCC, not from the rest of the convention (see the TCC map in the Pocket Program).

Autographs: Come and get a memento of our Guests of Honor. Autograph times will be listed in the Pocket Program. Hall D.

Nominochi: A Flea Market of used anime, manga, and assorted merchandise. Friday in Hall A from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

Cosplay Chess: Our anime-themed, live-action, chess battles. Hall A.

Charity Auction: Our Guests of Honor will help raise money for Sick Kids Hospital with an auction of anime merchandise. Sunday, noon in Hall E.

Please note that Hall C, where our concert events will take place, must be accessed by the doors on the east side of the TCC (please see maps in your pocket program). Hall C cannot be accessed from the rest of the convention Halls.

International Plaza Hotel

Events at the International Plaza begin at 5:00 PM on Friday, and 10:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. The con closes at 5:00 PM Sunday. Your Pocket Program will list exact times for events.

Guest of Honor Events: Come, see and hear from our VIP guests.Plaza C.

Panel Discussions: Attend one of dozens of discussion on earth-shattering topics (such as “Who’s the cutest girl in anime?”).

Game Shows: A roster of interactive events such as Anime Jeopardy for fans to get involved in. Mississauga Room.

Video Rooms: Sit in a dark with 300 of your friends for old stuff, brand new stuff, and just plain weird stuff.

Sheraton Hotel

Events at the Sheraton begin at 5:00 PM on Friday, and 10:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. The con closes at 5:00 PM Sunday. Your Pocket Program will list exact times and locations for events.

Yaoi North: Panels and video devoted to Yaoi fandom. 18+ event.

Manga Library: Sit down for a bit and read one of the hundreds of volumes available.

Gaming Panels: How many sides should a die have?

Video Gaming, Retro Arcade, and LAN Party: More computers, new and old, than you can handle. Includes DDR running all weekend.

LARP: Hit each other with foam swords!

Crowne Plaza Hotel (33 Carlson Court)

Doll North, a meet-up of panels and events for BJD, Pullip, Blythe and other doll collectors, will be running at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (across Dixon from the Sheraton) in the Algonquin Ballroom and Killarny Room. Events will run all weekend.

A Doll North only membership will be available at the event. This membership will not grant access to the rest of the convention.

Radisson Suites Hotel (640 Dixon Road Court)

Our Butler Café will be running at the Radisson again this year, in the Radisson Room on the 2nd flr. There will be an additional fee for this event.

Holiday Inn at 970 Dixon (Moonlight Ball)

The Holiday Inn (970 Dixon Road) will host our Moonlight Ball on Friday night. This is a formal costume dance.

There will be a limited number of tickets to the Moonlight Ball available for purchase at Anime North, at the Thursday night pre-registration pick-up at the International Plaza Hotel and near the Info Tables at the TCC on Friday from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. They will then be available at the door of the dance beginning at 7:00 PM.

The Moonlight Ball will be held at the Holiday Inn (970 Dixon Rd.), starting at 8:00 PM on Friday, May 27th. There will be shuttle buses running from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM from the International Plaza - Sheraton – Holiday Inn.

Tickets are $40 per person, which includes admission, group instructional dancing, demonstrations, buffet, games, dancing, costume contest, prizes and more!

Please note: dress code in effect. See the Moonlight Ball page on the Anime North website for full details

Other Items of Interest

If you are a costumer with any sort of large prop or weapon (facsimile or otherwise) you must first read our Weapons and Large Props Policy and check-in with our Weapons Master when you arrive at the con. The Weapons Master will be located in the Toronto Congress Center behind the Registration Tables.

Shuttle buses will be running between convention venues for use by our attendees. Please note that there will be TWO bus routes this year.

Route 1 will take all attendees between the main convention locations. Its route will be TCC – Crowne Plaza – Sheraton – International Plaza

Route 2 will shuttle people staying at more distant hotels to the TCC. Please note that only people staying at these hotels will be able to access the Route 2 bus, and they will need to pick up a sticker from the front desk of the hotel they are staying at. Not all hotels will be on the shuttle routes.

Shuttle Bus Schedule

Friday: 6:00PM - 1:00AM

Saturday: 10:00AM - 12:00AM

Sunday: 10:00AM - 6:00PM

The shuttle buses will stop at the hotel entrances and under the TCC water tower at the Hall F entrance. They will run approx. every 30 minutes.

If you have any mobility issues or needs please contact
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, or check-in at any of the Information/Access Desks at the convention.

If you require aid at the convention, please ask one of our Public Safety (security) personnel or an Anime North staff member. Both will be identifiable by distinctive badges and armbands (for Public Safety staff).

Exclusive Limited Edition Lithographs

The Teahouse

Join us at The Teahouse of The Maple Moon, our official message board. Find answers to your questions about the convention, discuss anime and manga with other con-goers, or let us know what you'd like to see and do at Anime North!

Mailing List

Hospital for Sick Children

Anime North is proud to be one of the many fund raisers for the international Hospital for Sick Children Foundation that is based in Toronto, ON. Our many activities for "Sick Kids" as it's affectionately known as, has raised over $80,000 in the previous years. One of our signature events is the Anime North All Star Charity Auction - read more...

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International Otaku Expo Association

Anime North is a proud member of the International Otaku Expo Association国際オタクイベント協会